This invention relates generally to breast pumps, and more particularly to a device for supporting a breast shield, as well as related breast pump equipment, on a woman's breast.
Breast pumps for expressing and storing breast milk for later use are well known. Two types of breast pumps are generally available for use by nursing mothers: motor-driven pumps and manually-operated pumps. Typically, these breast pumps include a funnel-shaped shield or hood that fits over the nipple and a substantial portion of the breast, some type of vacuum pump (e.g., manually driven piston cylinder, squeeze bulb or electrically driven vacuum device) which is connected to the breast shield for generating an intermittent vacuum in the breast shield, and a container for the expressed breast milk. The intermittent suction generated by the vacuum pump within the breast shield causes a pulling or pressing of the breast, and is intended to mimic an infant's suckling action to thereby express milk from the breast. The expressed milk typically flows from the breast shield to the collection container for storage and subsequent use by the infant. The collection container, such as a small milk bottle, is ordinarily assembled in the breast shield as though an intermediate milk-directing channel and valve arrangement.
Brassieres, halter tops and other garments specifically designed for nursing mothers are also well known. Generally, these nursing brassieres include flaps which may be unfastened at one side from the brassiere to expose the breasts for nursing by an infant, or for enabling breast milk collection through pumping.
When desiring to use a breast pump to collect and store breast milk while wearing such a nursing brassiere or otherwise, a mother, after exposing the breast, holds the breast shield in position on the exposed breast. Obviously, depending on whether the breast pump is motor-driven or manually-operated, and further on whether one or two breast shields are being used at the same time, one or both of the mother's hands will be needed to perform the breast pumping operation. As can be readily seen, the nursing mother, whether at home or at work, will not have the use of at least one of her hands, such as to perform other tasks when she is using her breast pump. Therefore, it would be advantageous to develop a method and device that will permit a mother to use a breast pump while also allowing her the free use of her hands to perform other tasks.